The World Health Organization (WHO) mission, which arrived in Turkmenistan, is starting to work with the Government and national experts on various aspects of preparedness and response to COVID-19. The WHO mission is led by Dr. Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Officer, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Neytralnyi Turkmenistan newspaper reports on Tuesday.
“The principled position of Turkmenistan - the visit of international experts, their joint work with national experts and an objective assessment of the state of affairs in Turkmenistan. Our country will ensure the arrival of the expert group, and then its dispatch to Europe. For this, Turkmenistan is ready to provide all the necessary conditions, including transport,” according to the report.
Dr. Smallwood noted about the support of the Turkmen government in organizing the WHO mission to the country in an interview, which was published on the UN website on the eve of the visit. In the interview, she dwelt in detail on the purpose of the mission and its program of stay, as well as on cooperation between the WHO and Turkmenistan, including the preparation and implementation of the Turkmenistan’s Preparedness and Response Plan for Acute Infectious Disease, which was developed at the national level in collaboration with international organizations .
Within the framework of the ten-day visit, the team aims to hold meetings with high-level officials and public health experts. Dr. Smallwood emphasized that the main purpose of the trip is to assist the Government and the Ministry of Healthcare and Medical Industry in preparation for the possible emergence of a novel coronavirus infection. The WHO experts plan to visit healthcare facilities, public health centers, laboratories, emergency centers and other facilities at the national, regional, and city levels.
Noting the preventive measures taken by Turkmenistan, Dr. Smallwood said, “We look forward to learning more during our visit”.
Turkmenistan developed its COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan in April. The goal of the plan is to prevent the importation of the infection into the country.
The WHO delegation, consisting of five people, arrived to the country with Türkmenhowaýollary (Turkmenistan Airlines) charter flight from Frankfurt am Main.
